Headline:
Dutch King Willem-Alexander to Attend Operation Market Garden Commemoration in Ede
Subheading:
Paratroopers Participate in 80th Anniversary Event Marking Historical Allied Liberation Operation
Body:
On the 21st of September 2024, the Netherlands will honor the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden with a poignant commemoration ceremony at the Ginkelse Heide near Ede. This significant event, which will feature a reenactment of the airborne landings that took place in September 1944, is expected to draw tens of thousands of attendees, including His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
Operation Market Garden was an ambitious Allied operation during World War II aimed at securing key bridges over the Rhine River and advancing the liberation of the Netherlands and Western Europe from German occupation. The event will pay tribute to the bravery of the paratroopers and soldiers who participated in the operation.
King Willem-Alexander will play a significant role in the ceremony, laying the first wreath at the Airborne Memorial and meeting with several World War II veterans. Among the expected attendees are 15 veterans from countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom, with the oldest born in 1921.
The morning and part of the afternoon will see paratroopers landing on the Ginkelsche Heide to recreate the 1944 landings. Over 2,000 Allied paratroopers were dropped on this open plain, with the goal of advancing to Arnhem to capture the Rhine bridge. This year, hundreds of paratroopers from the 11 Air Mobile Brigade and other units will take part in a mass drop to honor their predecessors. Some soldiers will also perform a free fall from a great height, and there will be parachute jumps from a Dakota DC3 transport plane, which was also used in the original operation.
In addition to the reenactments, an air show featuring historic aircraft will be held, adding to the solemnity of the occasion. The official commemoration will begin in the early afternoon at the Airborne Memorial, with speeches by the mayor of Ede, René Verhulst, and the Minister of Defense, Ruben Brekelmans, followed by the laying of wreaths.
Following the official ceremonies, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about Operation Market Garden and the experiences of the Allies and the Dutch during the Second World War through various exhibitions. These will include information about the evacuation of over 150,000 inhabitants during and after the Battle of Arnhem.
Given the expected heavy traffic and congestion between Arnhem and Ede, the municipality advises visitors to use public transport or bicycles to reach the event. Free shuttle buses will be available from Ede-Wageningen station to accommodate attendees.
In a separate event, the city of Nijmegen will also honor the liberators with a walk across the Waal Bridge, commemorating the liberation of the city by the Allied forces.
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